Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos!Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe isfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2024 February 3 Apollo 14: A View from Antares Image Credit:Edgar Mitchell,Apollo 14, NASA;Mosaic -Eric M. Jones Explanation: Apollo 14's Lunar Module Antareslanded on the Moonon February 5, 1971.Toward the end of the stay astronautEd Mitchellsnappeda series of photosof the lunar surface while looking out a window,assembledinto this detailed mosaic byApollo Lunar Surface Journal editor Eric Jones.The view looks across theFra Mauro highlandsto the northwestof the landing site after the Apollo 14 astronauts had completedtheir second and finalwalk on the Moon.Prominent in the foreground is their Modular Equipment Transporter,a two-wheeled, rickshaw-like device used to carry tools and samples.Near the horizon at top center is a 1.5 meter wide boulder dubbedTurtle rock.In the shallow crater below Turtle rockis the long white handle of a sampling instrument,thrown there javelin-style by Mitchell.Mitchell's fellow moonwalker and first American in space,Alan Shepard, also used a makeshift six ironto hittwo golf balls.One of Shepard's golf balls is just visible as a white spotbelow Mitchell's javelin. Tomorrow's picture: cone in the unicorn <| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar|...

APOD: 2024 February 1 - NGC 1365: Majestic Island Universe Discover the cosmos!Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe isfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2024 February 1 NGC 1365: Majestic Island Universe Image Credit &Copyright: Processing -Jean-Baptiste Auroux,Data -Mike Selby Explanation: Barred spiral galaxy NGC 1365 is truly a majesticisland universe some 200,000light-years across.Located a mere 60 million light-years away toward the faint but heatedconstellationFornax,NGC 1365 is adominant member of the well-studiedFornaxCluster of galaxies.Thissharp color imageshows the intense, reddish star forming regions near theends of the galaxy's central bar and along its spiral arms.Seen in fine detail, obscuring dust lanes cutacross the galaxy's bright core.At the core lies a supermassive black hole.Astronomers thinkNGC 1365'sprominent bar plays a crucial role in thegalaxy's evolution,drawing gas and dustinto a star-forming maelstromand ultimately feeding material into thecentral black hole. Tomorrow's picture: pixels in space <| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD| Discuss| > Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff(MTU) &Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)NASA Official: Amber StraughnSpecific rights apply.NASA WebPrivacy Policy and Important NoticesA service of:ASD atNASA /GSFC,NASA Science Activation& Michigan Tech. U.

Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos!Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe isfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2024 February 2 NGC 1893 and the Tadpoles of IC 410 Image Credit &Copyright: Sander de Jong Explanation: This cosmic viewshows off an otherwise faint emission nebula IC 410,captured under clear Netherlands skieswith telescope and narrowband filters.Above and right of center you can spottwo remarkable inhabitants of the interstellar pond of gasand dust, known as the tadpoles of IC 410.Partly obscured by foreground dust, the nebula itselfsurrounds NGC 1893, a younggalactic cluster of stars.Formed in the interstellar cloud a mere 4 million years ago, theintensely hot, brightcluster stars energize the glowing gas.Globules composed of denser cooler gas and dust,the tadpoles are around 10 light-years long and arelikely sites of ongoing star formation.Sculpted by stellar winds and radiation their heads are outlined bybright ridges of ionized gaswhile their tails trail away from the cluster's central young stars.IC 410 and embedded NGC 1893lie some 10,000 light-years away,toward the nebula-rich constellation Auriga. Tomorrow's picture: light-weekend <| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD| Discuss| > Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff(MTU) &Jerry Bonnell...

Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos!Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe isfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2024 February 1 NGC 1365: Majestic Island Universe Image Credit &Copyright: Processing -Jean-Baptiste Auroux,Data -Mike Selby Explanation: Barred spiral galaxy NGC 1365 is truly a majesticisland universe some 200,000light-years across.Located a mere 60 million light-years away toward the faint but heatedconstellationFornax,NGC 1365 is adominant member of the well-studiedFornaxCluster of galaxies.Thissharp color imageshows the intense, reddish star forming regions near theends of the galaxy's central bar and along its spiral arms.Seen in fine detail, obscuring dust lanes cutacross the galaxy's bright core.At the core lies a supermassive black hole.Astronomers thinkNGC 1365'sprominent bar plays a crucial role in thegalaxy's evolution,drawing gas and dustinto a star-forming maelstromand ultimately feeding material into thecentral black hole. Tomorrow's picture: pixels in space <| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD| Discuss| > Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff(MTU) &Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)NASA Official: Amber StraughnSpecific rights apply.NASA WebPrivacy Policy and Important NoticesA service of:ASD atNASA /GSFC,NASA Science Activation& Michigan Tech. U.

Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos!Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe isfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2024 January 27 Full Observatory Moon Image Credit &Copyright: Yuri Beletsky(CarnegieLas Campanas Observatory,TWAN) Explanation: A popular namefor January's full moon in the northern hemisphere isthe Full Wolf Moon.As the new year's first full moon, it rises over Las Campanas Observatoryin this dramaticEarth-and-moonscape.Peering from the foreground like astronomical eyes arethe observatory's twin 6.5 meter diameter Magellan telescopes.The snapshot was captured with telephoto lensacross rugged terrain in the Chilean Atacama Desert,taken at a distance of about 9 miles from the observatoryand about 240,000 miles fromthe lunar surface.Of course the first full moon of thelunar new year,known to some asthe Full Snow Moon, will rise on February 24. Tomorrow's picture: Pluto in color <| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD| Discuss| > Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff(MTU) &Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)NASA Official: Amber StraughnSpecific rights apply.NASA WebPrivacy Policy and Important NoticesA service of:ASD atNASA /GSFC,NASA Science Activation& Michigan Tech. U.

APOD: 2024 January 26 - Epsilon Tauri: Star with Planet Discover the cosmos!Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe isfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2024 January 26 Epsilon Tauri: Star with Planet Image Credit &Copyright: Reg Pratt Explanation: Epsilon Taurilies 146 light-years away.A K-typered giantstar, epsilon Tau is cooler than the Sun, but withabout 13 times the solar radius it shines with nearly 100 times the solarluminosity.A member of theHyadesopen star cluster the giant star is known by theproper name Ain,and along with brighter giant star Aldebaran,forms the eyes of Taurus the Bull.Surrounded by dusty, dark clouds in Taurus, epsilon Tauis also known to have a planet.Discovered byradial velocitymeasurements in 2006,epsilon Tauri bis a gas giant planet larger than Jupiterwith an orbital period of 1.6 years.And though the exoplanet can't be seen directly, on a dark nightits parent star epsilon Tauri is easily visible to the unaided eye. Tomorrow's picture: light-weekend <| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD| Discuss| > Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff(MTU) &Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)NASA Official: Amber StraughnSpecific rights apply.NASA WebPrivacy Policy and Important NoticesA service of:ASD atNASA /GSFC,NASA Science Activation& Michigan Tech. U.

APOD: 2024 January 25 - Jyväskylä in the Sky Discover the cosmos!Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe isfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2024 January 25 Jyväskylä in the Sky Image Credit &Copyright: Harri Kiiskinen Explanation: You might not immediately recognize this street map ofaneighborhood in Jyväskylä, Finland,planet Earth.But that's probably because the map was projected into the night sky andcaptured with an allsky camera on January 16.The temperature recorded on that northern winter nightwas around minus 20 degrees Celsius.As ice crystals formed in the atmosphere overhead,street lights spilling illumination into the sky above producedvisible light pillars,their ethereal appearance due tospecular reflectionsfrom the fluttering crystals' flat surfaces.Of course, the projected light pillars trace a map of thebrightly lit local streets, thoughreversedright to left in the upward looking camera's view.This light pillar street map was seen to hover for hours inthe Jyväskylä night. Tomorrow's picture: star with planet <| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD| Discuss| > Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff(MTU) &Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)NASA Official: Amber StraughnSpecific rights apply.NASA WebPrivacy Policy and Important NoticesA service of:ASD atNASA /GSFC,NASA Science Activation& Michigan Tech. U.

Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos!Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe isfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2024 January 26 Epsilon Tauri: Star with Planet Image Credit &Copyright: Reg Pratt Explanation: Epsilon Taurilies 146 light-years away.A K-typered giantstar, epsilon Tau is cooler than the Sun, but withabout 13 times the solar radius it has nearly 100 times the solarluminosity.A member of theHyadesopen star cluster the giant star is known by theproper name Ain,and along with brighter giant star Aldebaran,forms the eyes of Taurus the Bull.Surrounded by dusty, dark clouds in Taurus, epsilon Tauis also known to have a planet.Discovered byradial velocitymeasurements in 2006,Epsilon Tauri bis a gas giant planet larger than Jupiterwith an orbital period of 1.6 years.And though the exoplanet can't be seen directly, on a dark nightits parent star epsilon Tauri is easily visible to the unaided eye. Tomorrow's picture: light-weekend <| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD| Discuss| > Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff(MTU) &Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)NASA Official: Amber StraughnSpecific rights apply.NASA WebPrivacy Policy and Important NoticesA service of:ASD atNASA /GSFC,NASA Science Activation& Michigan Tech. U.

Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos!Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe isfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2024 January 25 Jyväskylä in the Sky Image Credit &Copyright: Harri Kiiskinen Explanation: You might not immediately recognize this street map ofaneighborhood in Jyväskylä, Finland,planet Earth.But that's probably because the map was projected into the night sky andcaptured with an allsky camera on January 16.The temperature recorded on that northern winter nightwas around minus 20 degrees Celsius.As ice crystals formed in the atmosphere overhead,street lights spilling illumination into the sky above producedvisible light pillars,their ethereal appearance due tospecular reflectionsfrom the fluttering crystals' flat surfaces.Of course, the projected light pillars trace a map of thebrightly lit local streets, thoughreversedright to left in the upward looking camera's view.This light pillar street map was seen to hover for hours inthe Jyväskylä night. Tomorrow's picture: star with planet <| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD| Discuss| > Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff(MTU) &Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)NASA Official: Amber StraughnSpecific rights apply.NASA WebPrivacy Policy and Important NoticesA service of:ASD atNASA /GSFC,NASA Science Activation& Michigan Tech. U.

APOD: 2024 January 19 - Jupiter over 2 Hours and 30 Minutes Discover the cosmos!Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe isfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2024 January 19 Jupiter over 2 Hours and 30 Minutes Image Credit & License:Aurélien Genin Explanation: Jupiter, our Solar System's ruling gas giant, is also thefastest spinning planet,rotating once in less than 10 hours.The gas giant doesn't rotate like a solid body though.A day on Jupiteris about 9 hours and 56 minutes long at the poles,decreasing to 9 hours and 50 minutes near the equator.The giant planet's fast rotation createsstrong jet streams,separating its clouds into planet girdlingbands of dark belts and bright zones.You can easily follow Jupiter's rapid rotationin this sharp sequence of imagesfrom the night of January 15, all taken with a camera and smalltelescope outside of Paris, France.Located just south of the equator, the giant planet's giant stormsystem, also known asthe Great Red Spot,can be seen moving left to rightwith the planet's rotation.From lower left to upper right, the sequence spans about 2 hours and 30minutes. Tomorrow's picture: boostback burn <| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD| Discuss| >...

Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos!Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe isfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2024 January 20 Falcon Heavy Boostback Burn Image Credit &Copyright: Dennis Huff Explanation: The December 28 night launchof aFalcon Heavy rocketfrom Kennedy Space Center in Florida marked the fifthlaunch for the rocket's reusable side boosters.About 2 minutes 20 seconds into the flight, the twoside boosters separated from the rocket's core stage.Starting just after booster separation,this three minute long exposure captures the pair's remarkableboostback burns,maneuvers executed prior to their return tolanding zones on planet Earth.While no attempt was made to recover the Falcon Heavy's core stage,both side boosters landed successfully andcan be flown again.The four previous flights for these side boostersincluded last October's launch of NASA'sasteroid-bound Psyche mission. Tomorrow's picture: snow day <| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD| Discuss| > Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff(MTU) &Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)NASA Official: Ryan SmallcombSpecific rights apply.NASA WebPrivacy Policy and Important NoticesA service of:ASD atNASA /GSFC,NASA Science Activation& Michigan Tech. U.

Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos!Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe isfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2024 January 19 Jupiter over 2 Hours and 30 Minutes Image Credit & License:Aurélien Genin Explanation: Jupiter, our Solar System's ruling gas giant, is also thefastest spinning planet,rotating once in less than 10 hours.The gas giant doesn't rotate like a solid body though.A day on Jupiteris about 9 hours and 56 minutes long at the poles,decreasing to 9 hours and 50 minutes near the equator.The giant planet's fast rotation createsstrong jet streams,separating its clouds into planet girdling bandsof dark belts and bright zones.You can easily follow Jupiter's rapid rotationin this sharp sequence of imagesfrom the night of January 15, all taken with a camera and smalltelescope outside of Paris, France.Located just south of the equator, the giant planet's giant stormsystem, also known asthe Great Red Spot,can be seen moving left to rightwith the planet's rotation.From lower left to upper right, the sequence spans about 2 hours and 30minutes. Tomorrow's picture: boostback burn <| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD| Discuss| > Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff(MTU) &Jerry Bonnell...

APOD: 2024 January 18 - Northern Lights from the Stratosphere Discover the cosmos!Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe isfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2024 January 18 Northern Lights from the Stratosphere Image Credit &Copyright: Ralf Rohner Explanation: Northern lights shine inthis night skyview fromplanet Earth's stratosphere,captured on January 15.The single, 5 second exposure was made with ahand-held camera on board anaircraft above Winnipeg, Canada.During the exposure, terrestrial lights below leave colorful trails alongthe direction of motion of the speeding aircraft.Above the more distant horizon,energetic particles acceleratedalong Earth's magnetic field at theplanet's polar regionsexcite atomic oxygen to create the shimmeringdisplay of Aurora Borealis.The aurora's characteristic greenish hue is generated at altitudesof 100-300 kilometers and red at even higher altitudes andlower atmospheric densities.The luminous glow of faint stars along the plane of our Milky Way galaxyarcs through the night,while the Andromeda galaxy extends this northern skyview toextragalactic space.A diffuse hint of Andromeda,the closest large spiral to the Milky Way, can just be seento the upper left. Tomorrow's picture: shortest day in the Solar System <| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD| Discuss| > Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff(MTU)...

Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos!Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe isfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2024 January 18 Northern Lights from the Stratosphere Image Credit &Copyright: Ralf Rohner Explanation: Northern lights shine inthis night skyview from planet Earth's stratosphere,captured on January 15.The single, 5 second exposure was made with ahand-held camera on board anaircraft above Winnipeg, Canada.During the exposure, terrestrial lights below leave colorful trails alongthe direction of motion of the speeding aircraft.Above the more distant horizon,energetic particles acceleratedalong Earth's magnetic field at theplanet's polar regionsexcite atomic oxygen to create the shimmeringdisplay of Aurora Borealis.The aurora's characteristic greenish hue is generated at altitudesof 100-300 kilometers and red at even higher altitudes andlower atmospheric densities.The luminous glow of faint stars along the plane of our Milky Way galaxyarcs through the night,while the Andromeda galaxy extends this northern skyview toextragalactic space.A diffuse hint of Andromeda,the closest large spiral to the Milky Way, can just be seento the upper left. Tomorrow's picture: shortest day in the Solar System <| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD| Discuss| > Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff(MTU) &Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)NASA Official:...

APOD: 2024 January 17 - America and the Sea of Serenity Discover the cosmos!Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe isfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2024 January 17 America and the Sea of Serenity Image Credit &Copyright: Gene Cernan,Apollo 17,NASA;Anaglyph byPatrick Vantuyne Explanation: Get out yourred/blue glassesand check out this stereo view of another world.The scene was recordedby Apollo 17 mission commander Eugene Cernan on December 11, 1972,one orbit before descending to land on the Moon.The stereo anaglyph was assembled from two photographs(AS17-147-22465, AS17-147-22466)captured from his vantage point on board the Lunar Module Challenger as heand Dr. Harrison Schmitt flew over Apollo 17'slanding site in theTaurus-Littrow Valley.The broad, sunlit face of the mountain dubbedSouth Massif rises near the centerof the frame,above the dark floor of Taurus-Littrow to its left.Piloted by Ron Evans, the Command Module America isvisible in orbit in the foreground against theSouth Massif's peak.Beyond the mountains, toward the lunar limb, lies the Moon'sMare Serenitatis.Four astronauts will venture around the Moon and back again on theArtemis II mission,scheduled for launch no earlier than September 2025. Tomorrow's picture: geomagnetic stormy weather <| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About...